547 
June  18,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
shoijjd  be  without  his  notebook,  so  that  every  peculiarity  can 
be  noted.  Trust  much  to  memory,  yet  do  not  forget  that  it 
plays  pranks  with  its  owner  at  times.  Naturally  the  bigoted 
.specimen  of  the  old  school  will  ever  remain  in  evidence.  His 
scornful  allusions  to  boys  and  tyros  can  only  be  expected.  Yet 
the  young  man  who  takes  heed  of  these  jeers  cannot  hope  to 
secure  the  choicest  plums.  “  Advance!  ”  must  be  his  motto,  and 
nothing  should  turn  him  from  his  purpose.  Not  only  must  he 
be  a  plodder,  but  dogged  persistency  and  wideawakeness  must 
ever  animate  him.  In  conclusion,  I  would  beg  my  younger 
readers  not  to  put  me  down  as  an  old  fogey  who  holds  a  good 
fat  billet,  but  as  one  of  themselves. — T.  W. 
HE)  BE)E-KBE)PER. 
■  i  ■  .  .  ,  -  I  >  i 
,  T , ,  ,  1 . 1 . 1 , 
Increase  by  Swarming. 
Swarming  in  certain  circumstances  takes  place  verj'  much  to 
the  bee-keeper’s  detriment,  and  this  is  especially  so  when  increase 
is  not  desired,  but  the  most  superficial  observer  must  have  been 
impressed  with  the  disadvantages  of  natural  swarming  when  com¬ 
pared  with  artificial  methods.  For  instance,  if  a  stock  which  is 
Avorking  vigorously  in  the  supers  is  suddenly  depopulated  by  the 
departure  of  a  swarm,  Avhich  invariably  includes  the  bulk  of  the 
adult  bees,  the  income  of  honey  Avill  be  greatly  diminished,  if 
not  almost  entirely  suspended,  as  the  remaining  inhabitants  are 
mostly  young  bees  and  are  engaged  in  nursing  instead  of  honey 
gathering,  and  should  the  swarm  issue  as  it  usually  does  when  the 
honey  floAV  is  at  its  height,  it  may  mean  the  loss  of  probably  the 
greater  portion  of  the  surplus. 
In  order  to  obviate  this  loss  and  inconvenience,  the  plan  of 
examining  every  colony  periodically  and  cutting  out  all  the  queen 
cells  is  sometimes  advocated,  but  this  method,  apart  from  its 
tediousness,  is  A'ery  uncertain,  as  an  odd  cell  in  an  obscure  and 
unexpected  position  may  unfortunately  be  OA^erlooked,  and  an 
unwelcome  swarm  is  the  inevitable  result,  which,  in  the  hands 
of  some  bee-keepers,  when  hived  under  favourable  conditions 
the  most  it  accomplishes  is  to  regain  its  strength  sufficiently  to 
fill  the  brood  chamber  and  provide  enough  food  for  Avinter. 
Noav,  if  advantage  is  taken  of  the  fact  that  small  populations 
never  SAvarm,  and  colonies  Avhich  are  observed  Avith  queen  cells  in 
any  stage  of  preparation  for  swarming  are  divided,  there  is  no 
necessity  for  the  troublesome  process  of  excising  all  cpieen  cells. 
Making  tAVO'  stocks  from  one  is  quite  sufficient  to  preA*ent  them 
decamping,  as  after  such  a  division  the  first  hatched  queen  takes 
her  place  in  the  queenless  portion,  and  in  the  one  already  headed 
bj"  a  fertile  queen  the  cells  are  destroyed  and  thus  there  is  only 
one  queen  to  each  stock. 
There  is  no  part  of  the  modern  system  of  apiculture  in  which 
the  advantages  of  the  movable  bar  principle  assert  themselves 
than  in  the  multiplication  of  stocks  by  artificial  swarming.  It 
enables  the  bee-keeper  to  obtain  his  increase  at  a  period  AA'hen 
there  is  little  or  nothing  being  done,  instead  of,  as  is  often  the 
case  with  natural  SAvarms,  just  Avhen  a  good  honey  floAv  is  on.  It 
also  obviates  the  anxiety  and  AA’atching  neces.sary  Avith  natural 
SAvarms,  and  in  those  districts  Avhere  the  season  is  late  and  the 
honey  floAV  of  short  duration,  if  the  operation  is  performed  Avith 
discretion  early  enough  there  is  an  additional  advantage  in  this 
mode  of  increase  Avhicli  cannot  be  too  highly  estimated — the  pro¬ 
duction  of  populations  at  the  right  time  capable  of  taking  full 
advantage  of  it.  By  this  means  the  uncontrollable  splitting  up 
of  .strong  colonies  occasioned  by  natural  SAAarming  is  also  pre¬ 
vented,  and  stocks  so  treated  are  freed  from  the  SAA-arming  impulse, 
and  are  full  of  restless  energy. 
In  dividing  overcroAvded  colonies  the  novice  is  liable  to  certain 
errors  of  judgment,  but  the  folloAving  Avill  no  doubt  minimise 
them :  select  a  fine  Avarm  day  Avhen  the  bulk  of  the  bees  are  in 
the  fields  and  honey  is  abundant,  take  the  comb  of  brood  and 
bees  on  which  the  queen  is  found  and  place  it  in  a  hive  similar 
to  the  one  from  Avhich  it  Avas  taken,  and  set  it  in  the  place  of  the 
stock  operated  upon,  removing  the  latter  to  a  neAv  .stand.  Place 
the  frame  of  brood  and  bees  near  the  hive  side,  one  empty  comb 
intervening,  and  the  other  frames  properly  placed  in  position, 
and  the  hive  may  be  covered  by  quilts  and  left.  The  parent 
colony  must  also  be  closed  after  inserting  an  empty  comb  in  lieu 
of  the  one  abstracted. 
These  operations  result  in  almost  every  bee  joining  the  SAA'ann 
on  the  old  SAvarm,  Avhile  the  young  ones  Avhich  remain  Avith  the 
old  colony  hatch  out  the  brood,  and  the  hive  is  as  populous  in  a 
few  days  as  previously.  The  introduction  of  a  fertile  queen  after 
an  interval  of  Iaa-o  days  to  the  queenless  portion  Avill  .saA'e  con¬ 
siderable  time.  The  beginner  is  apt  to  conclude  that  by  dividing 
he  can  make  almost  any  number  of  colonies;  but  this  is  not  sol 
To  make  artificial  SAAarms  succes-sfully  the  stocks  should  be  A'ery 
strong,  as  only  strong  SAvarms  accomplish  anything.  Multiplica¬ 
tion  means  division  in  this  case,  and  if  carried  too  far  it  may 
result  in  some  having  to  be  united  in  tlie  autumn  to  pass  through 
the  Avinter  safely. 
Should  there  be  a  check  in  the  honey  floAA-  both  colonies  must 
be  fed  daily.  If  from  any  cause  an  undesired  sAvarm  issues  from 
a  colony,  hive  it  temporarily,  and  in  the  ev’ening  carefully 
examine  all  the  combs  of  the  parent  stock,  cutting  out  all  queen 
cells,  after  Avhich  return  the  SAvarm  and  replace  the  supers.  This 
Avill  sometimes  result  in  a  resumption  of  honey  gathering  and 
AA  crk  in  the  supers.  If  they  still  persi.st  in  emigrating,  place  the 
SAvarm  in  a  hiv'e  near  to  the  parent  stock,  and  Avhen  the  young 
queen  is  laying  in  the  old  colony  the  old  queen  may  be  dispose<l 
of,  and  the  tAA’o  united.  Those,  hoAveA’er,  avIio  desire  the 
inaximum  of  profit  must  check  SAA’amning  by  eA’ery  possible  means. 
Excessive  and  indiscriminate  SAAarming  and  sub-dividing  so 
Aveaken  stocks  that  they  are  in  some  cases  unable  even  to  gather 
sufficient  strength  for  Avinter,  hence  the  cause  of  so  many  losses 
in  the  spring. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
Bee  Stings  and  Rheumatism. 
“  Set  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief  ”  is  a  maxim  Avhich  has  been 
found  useful  in  many  Avalks  of  life,  but  never  before  has  it  been 
tried  in  such  an  uncompromising  and,  it  must  be  added,  success¬ 
ful  manner,  as  by  Dr.  Perc,  of  Marburg,  in  the  sphere  of  medicine. 
This  di.sciple  of  Galen  delivered  an  address  before  abiulliant  gather¬ 
ing  of  colleagues  on  the  healing  properties  of  the  sting  of  bees 
in  cases  of  rheumatism  of  the  joints  and  muscles,  as  Avell  as 
neuralgia.  It  aaus  knoAvn  from  time  immemorial,  Dr.  Perc  pointed 
out,  as  a  means  of  curing  rheumatism  among  the  loAver  orders  Avho 
haA’e  no  faith  in  medical  science.  The  first  member  of  the  faculty 
to  apply  it  Avas  the  learned  physician  himself,  and  500  successfully 
treated  cases  bear  Avitness  to  its  efficiency.  He,  therefore,  claims 
the  right  to  regard  it  as  a  specific  against  rheumatic  pain. 
When  the  angry  bee  stings  a  healthy  person  the  result  is  two¬ 
fold  ;  a  little  mole  is  made  on  the  spot  and  the  part  begins  to 
swell ;  sometimes  even  headache  and  fainting  fits  may  in  excep¬ 
tional  cases  ensue.  If  one  is  frequently  stung  by  bees  the 
organism  graduallj^  gets  inured  to  the  poison,  .so  that  although  the 
little  mole  or  mark  is  AU.sible  each  time,  there  is  no  SAvelling  Avhat- 
CA-er,  the  body  being  immune  against  the  poison.  If  a  patient 
suffering  from  rheumatism  be  .stung  by  a  bee  the  part  affected 
-does  not  saA'cII  at  first,  nor  until  the  bee  poison  has  been  fre¬ 
quently  introduced,  and  then  the  pain  gradually  vani.shes  from 
the  rheumatic  joint.  Those  e.stablished  facts  formed  the  basis  of 
Dr.  Perc’s  further  experiments.  He  lets  his  patient  be  stung  at 
first  by  a  feAV  bees,  then  by  sIoav  degrees  he  increases  their  number, 
the  sting  being  inserted  near  to  the  joint  or  mu.scle  affected.  Of 
course  the  bee  must  not  be  alloAved  tO'  Avander  from  the  point,  as 
that  might  cause  complications,  at  least,  so  far  as  the  “  sitting  ” 
is  concerned.  Like  the  famous  American  pill,  it  must  not  “go 
fooling  about,  but  stick  to  business.”  In  one  “  sitting  ”  he  lets 
as  many  as  seAmnty  bees  do  their  Avorst  to  his  client.  He  described 
the  case  of  one  Avoman  avIio,  havung  suffei'ed  excruciating  tortures 
from  “  rheumaticks,”  came  to  him  for  treatment.  He  informed 
his  hearers  that  in  the  course  of  her  cure  he  caused  her  to  be  stung 
6,592  times,  Avhereupon  the  audience  before  Avhom  the  learned 
physician  Avas  discour.sing  displayed  a  considerable  degree  of 
emotion.  The  Avoman  is  noAV  healed  and  happy.  EA^ery  organism 
which  is  once  made  immune  against  bee  poison  is  equally  immune 
against  rheumatism.  This  neAV  specific,  if  generally  adopted,  Avill 
gh'e  a  fillip  to  apiculture,  as  well  as  relief  to  a  much-suffering 
class  of  patients. — (“  Daily  Telegraph.”) 
- «  ■ - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  C'hi.s- 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
i 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
o 
1903, 
June. 
eotion  c 
Wind, 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
Bain. 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
5  12  2 
6  ffltn 
O  R. 
Q 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Jag 
©  o 
bi 
Sunday  ...  7 
N. 
deg. 
55-0 
deg. 
500 
deg. 
62-7 
deg. 
41-0 
Ins. 
deg. 
58-1 
deg. 
56  9 
deg. 
53  9 
deg. 
37  1 
Monday ...  8 
N.E. 
601 
52  8 
69  0 
489 
0-53 
57-3 
56-4 
53-9 
43  5 
Tuesday...  9 
S.E. 
54-6 
530 
65'8 
50-3 
0  26 
57-2 
56-2 
53-9 
47‘5 
ArVed’sday  10 
E.S  E. 
55-1 
54-3 
59-2 
53  8 
0-90 
58-2 
56-3 
54  0 
49  5 
Thursday  11 
N.N  E. 
54-7 
53'8 
56-2 
54-3 
0-20 
57-8 
56-3 
54-0 
53'7 
Friday  ...12 
N.N.E. 
52-6 
47-7 
58-9 
45-0 
-  ( 
55-9 
56*2 
54-1 
41 '5 
Saturday  13 
S.E. 
56-9 
52-5 
58-0 
37-8 
1-30 
54-9 
55'9 
541  1 
1 
29-3 
Means  ... 
55  6 
52-0 
6iq 
47-3 
Total. 
3-19 
57-1 
56-3 
54  0  1 
43  1 
A  Aveek  of  sunless  Aveather  Avith  an  unusually  heavy  rainfall. 
